The present invention relates to the enrichment and modification of vitamins in plant food stuffs.
1. Field of the Invention
Vitamins are organic compounds required in small amounts for a plurality of chemical functions. The human organism cannot develop vitamins at all or only in an insufficient amount and, thus, they have to be supplied via food intake. As co-factors or prosthetic groups of cellular enzymes active vitamins have, in particular, catalytic functions: as bio-catalysts they allow for metabolic reactions under physiological conditions, which reactions would—without their catalytic influence—only be possible under high pressure or high temperatures. While human beings and animals cannot or only to a restricted extent produce vitamins endogenously, plants and “lower” organisms (e.g. bacteria and/or algae) are capable of building said biocatalysts from suitable carbon, nitrogen, mineral and natural energy sources (sun light) in a biochemical way. Consequently, the human being is reliant on the regular and sufficient supply of vitamins to maintain smooth energy metabolism, anabolism and functional metabolism of his organism. Thus, all growth, defense and regeneration processes of the human organism depend on sufficient supplies of vitamins in the body.
Vitamin preparations are used in an attempt to directly increase vitamin contents of food. For example, the vitamin level of a food is complemented by admixing vitamin preparations. For this purpose, plants or plant products can be sprinkled with vitamin preparations.
2. Description of Related Art
US 2004/0115288 A1 describes an alternative way for increasing the vitamin content. The vitamin-B content in plants is increased in a natural manner by a controlled procedure of plant cuttings, alternated with defined growth phases.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,224 discloses a method for generally increasing the nutrient content in plants, wherein plant embryos are incubated in selected electrolyte solutions.
GB 500 284, GB 485 097 and GB 484 981 relate to the treatment of plant seeds with growth-promoting substances, including vitamin B1, lactoflavin (vitamin B2) and biotin (vitamin B7).
An advantage of vitamin treatment is that plant growth can be accelerated, thus raising output. EP 524 411 A1 suggests to treat plant seeds with a vitamin-B1 composition (vitamin B1 is also referred to as thiamine or aneurine), optionally with a fungicide.
EP 1 371 283 A2 describes soaking of plant seeds in a vitamin-B12 solution to increase the vitamin-B12 content of the plants. Plants do not produce vitamin B12 themselves but absorb it from the soil (where it is produced by bacteria). In this document vitamin B12 refers to all forms of vitamin B12, i.e. cobalamin, cyanocobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. The vitamin B12 need of a human being is relatively low, namely 1 μg, the content thereof in plants being just as low. This vitamin can be enriched in plants up to 0.5 μg/g by plant-seed treatment.
WO 2000/013502 A1 relates to a fertilizer to be applied on leaves, e.g. by sprinkling.
US 2004/0063582 A1 relates to seed materials with adhering micronutrients, vitamins and pesticides.
WO 1999/026470 A1 concerns a culture medium for plants, in which plant seeds may be cultured.
GB 1 108 164 describes a nutrient solution, in which seeds can be germinated for faster growth.
WO 2005/063002 A1 relates to artificial somatic embryogenesis in cotton plants in a nutrient solution.
The knowledge that a regular and sufficient vitamin supply is essential for animals and human beings has led to chemical, biochemical and fermentative development and production of isolated vitamins on an industrial scale in the last decades. Supplying animals and human beings with thus obtained vitamins has turned out to be necessary and reasonable in most cases and many large-scale intervention studies have been conducted, in particular in the last 10 years, showing that the supply of single, isolated and high-dosed vitamins may also have negative effects under certain circumstances and in several population groups:
Two large-scale Scandinavian studies have shown that the supply of isolated beta carotene increases the lung cancer death rates of smokers and asbestos workers (ATBC study and CARET study).
A further double-blind study conducted with 4,000 diabetics and/or persons suffering from cardiovascular diseases has shown that the supply of isolated vitamin E increases the risk of cardiac complications in the verum group (HOPE study).
A recently presented Norwegian study conducted with 3,800 heart attack patients has shown that the regular intake of a combination of synthetic vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid increased the risk of heart attacks or strokes by 20% in the verum group as compared to the placebo group (NORVIT study).